Analysis

Nobody was happy about the grounding of aircraft in northern Germany in smaller airports as well as the bigger ones in Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.

But nor was there the outburst of discontent which came with the cancelled flights in Britain the previous day.

One stranded passenger at Bremen said: “One has to take it as it is. That is the way it is. Safety is first. When an ash cloud moves towards us and the planes are endangered by this, I would not like to be on board a plane.”

There is some unease within the industry about what they see as different regulations in different countries. No airline chief executive has matched Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary in his vociferous condemnation.

There are no flight restrictions elsewhere in Europe, Eurocontrol said.